High school football: Timpanogos QB Jackson Dunford transported from game by medical helicopter

Timpanogos quarterback Jackson Dunford was transported by medical helicopter to the Intermountain Medical Center after losing consciousness during a high school football game Friday night.

“The medical staff decided to take precautionary measures and Life Flight him to make sure he’s going to be OK.”

Timpanogos coach Ed Larson

DRAPER — Timpanogos quarterback Jackson Dunford was transported by medical helicopter to the Intermountain Medical Center after losing consciousness during a high school football game Friday night.

Dunford displayed serious concussion symptoms after absorbing a jarring blow while scrambling from the pocket at Corner Canyon High. Medical personnel elected to transport him after he regained full consciousness.

“He basically suffered a concussion that had him lose consciousness on the field. He had a hard time waking up completely from it, so that’s what took him so long to get him off (the field),” Timpanogos coach Ed Larson said. “By the time ... his spinal check was done, as we started walking off the field, he kept the nausea that comes from a concussion and began to vomit a little bit, and went back into not a totally unconscious state, but started to lose it a little bit.

“The medical staff decided to take precautionary measures and Life Flight him to make sure he’s going to be OK.”

Larson spoke with Dunford’s father, who said he’s doing “great” and “answering questions and knows exactly where he’s at.”

After a long delay, Friday's game between Corner Canyon and Timpanogos was called early with Corner Canyon maintaining a 35-7 lead in the fourth quarter.

“The only reason it made it look worse is we had to sit him down again,” Larson said. “They wanted to put an IV in him and get him hydrated and take precautionary measures by putting him on a board. That just took a long time to get it going, so that’s why we ended up calling the game."

Larson isn’t entirely sure how the injury occurred.

“I was obstructed. He was back to pass and the pocket collapsed on him and he took off running and I was blocked from the tackle, so I don’t know what type of hit he took,” Larson said. “I was getting ready to call the next play and he didn’t get up from the tackle. It just seemed like a normal play. He was in a fully protected mode because he was actually running the ball straight ahead.”

Dunford has enjoyed a career year this fall, throwing for 1,353 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding four more scores on the ground.

Trevor Phibbs is a reporter who joined the Deseret News in 2008. He currently is the Weber State beat writer and also covers high school athletics and the Utah Blaze. Phibbs was raised in Sandy, Utah where he graduated more ..